It takes a very smart race car driver to be successful in NASCAR. However, who is the smartest driver in NASCAR? NASCAR Reddit gave their thoughts on it, and they came up with some interesting suggestions.
Kyle Busch was one of the most popular choices. You do not win over 60 races and two Championships without being a smart race car driver. People discussed Kyle Busch being able to report what he is doing in the car, and how good his feedback is. A few even said that he could be a crew chief one day.
burnoutsession also brings in an interesting statistic of Kyle Busch giving five different crew chiefs their first career win. That would be Alan Gustafson, Steve Addington, Dave Rogers, Adam Stevens, and Ben Beshore.
cpk_diecast discussed how Busch knows the feel of his car, and what needs to be changed with the car.
Season01um suggests friends listen to Busch’s radio, and that shows some insight into the level of detail that Busch goes to when describing his car.
bjohnson203 said that Busch’s intelligence is “undervalued”
Brad Keselowski is very insightful in many of his post-race press conferences, and even in what he posts on social media. He is also an owner-driver, and that takes some serious brain power to pull off both. NASCAR Reddit agreed with that assessment as well. Many brought up some of his past wins that showed off his brain power. Keselowski was by far the most popular suggestion.
JP119 brought up Keselowski saving fuel at Kansas in 2011, and he was not the only one to bring up fuel mileage.
rainking6 brought up Keselowski winning while saving fuel at Kentucky in 2016. Potentially one of the more underrated moments of his career.
ScottRiggsFan10 brought up Keselowski winning at Talladega in 2012, and how Keselowski broke the draft of another guy on this list, Kyle Busch.
Not necessarily unanimous Ectohawk, but he is pretty popular in this thread.
That is true, and it was a large reason why Keselowski won his Championship.
Some fans decided to come up with some other suggestions to add to the list. I mean, pretty much any driver in NASCAR has at least an argument. It takes a certain amount of brain power to be able to drive in NASCAR.
ItsDennyTime11 brought his favorite driver up, not necessarily because of his off-track intelligence, but rather some intelligent race-winning moves that he made to win some great races.
SeattlePassedTheBall brought up Jimmie Johnson, and, I mean it’s hard to argue against a seven-time Champion.
Mirror_of_Souls brought up one of the most intelligent racing moves in NASCAR history with David Pearson backing off from Richard Petty at the end of the 1974 Firecracker 400.
Yeah, Ryan Newman is definitely in the conversation with his degree.
Engineer who won a Championship as an owner-driver. It is tough to argue against Alan Kulwicki.
When it comes to the smartest drivers in NASCAR history, Reddit came up with some very interesting suggestions. Is there any that Reddit missed?
As the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season gets underway, The Daily Downforce is once again tracking how fans feel about race broadcasts throughout the year, just as we did last year. This ratings tracker exists to capture fan feedback in a clear, consistent way across the entire season for each TV partner.
After each Cup Series race weekend, we will post a fan poll asking one simple question: “How would you rate this weekend’s Cup Series broadcast?” And fans can vote and comment based on their overall viewing experience. This article will be updated weekly with the most recent race’s numbers added to the tracker.
Participation is quick and open to everyone.
| Week | Network | Race | Votes | Good | Average | Bad | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FOX | Bowman Gray Clash | 368 | 16% | 43% | 42% | Check the Poll HERE |
| 2 | FOX | Daytona 500 | 989 | 42% | 46% | 12% | Check the Poll HERE |
Remember to follow The Daily Downforce on X to catch each weekly poll, share your thoughts, and be part of the conversation.
A new trailer revealed that NASCAR will be a part of The Crew Motorfest’s upcoming free season 9 update.
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Denny Hamlin defends Riley Herbst, Brad Keselowski is furious, and Kyle Busch leaves everyone debating what it means to truly compete for a Daytona 500. The final lap at Daytona International Speedway sparked multiple completely different controversies that say a lot about modern superspeedway racing.
At superspeedways, instinct rules everything. Herbst reacted late, Keselowski paid the price, and Hamlin backed his guy. Meanwhile, Busch lifted from 25th, avoided the wreck, and gained ten spots, a move that looks smart in hindsight but could have backfired badly. In a new points-heavy format, are drivers thinking differently? We break down both moments, what they really mean, and whether everyone involved might actually have a point. Plus, early Cup Series power rankings to wrap it up.
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